A 1776 Continental dollar EG FECIT, picture at right, graded MS-64 by the Professional Coin Grading Service was the top lot at $138,000 in Superior Galleries Jan. 2-3 auction in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 2-3. The auction, held just before the Florida United Numismatists Convention, as a whole brought in $2.05 million.
A second 1776 Continental dollar, graded PCGS AU-58 and of the variety where ?Currency? is spelled with only one ?R? garnered $44,850. Prices include 15-percent buyer?s fees.
The true denomination of the Continental coins, engraved by Elisha Gallaudet, are not known but are approximately the same size of later dollars. The coins were struck at first in secret as the American Continental Congress awaited an anticipated loan of silver coinage from friends in France. They were primarily struck in tin but a few in brass, copper and even silver are also known, the catalogers say.
The coins were popular and circulated with the date 1776 on the obverse, a chain of the 13 original colonies on the reverse with WE ARE ONE at the center.
Other highlights of the sale were a 1795 $10 Capped Bust 13 leaves Numismatic Guaranty Corp. AU-55 that sold for $52,900, a 1884 $10 Professional Coin Grading Service Proof-65 that sold for $48,300, an 1862 $5 PCGS Proof-64 that went for $47,150 and a 1869 $5 PCGS Proof-65 that brought in $47,150.
?We are pleased to have begun the 2007 auction season with so much fresh numismatic material in our annual Orlando Elite Auction, which has become a longstanding tradition for collectors and dealers alike. We look forward to building upon the momentum generated by this auction in our signature Feb. 11-13, 2007, Beverly Hills Elite Auction next month,? said Superior Executive Vice President and COO Larry Abbott.
For the complete auction listings and results, visit www.spbh.com.
